PM Modi-Biden To Discuss G20 Agenda And Multilateral Development Bank Reform: White House

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to hold a discussion on the agenda of G20, particularly the economic cooperation and multilateral investment opportunities, that stand before it and can be on the American leader’s strong desire to see multilateral development bank reform and reshaping, a White House official said.

John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications, also pointed out that there is very little possibility that PM Modi and President Biden will discuss on climate and the ongoing Ukraine war. The remark by Kirby comes before President Joe Biden departs for New Delhi on Thursday and will meet PM Modi on the next day.

Responding to a query on the agenda that PM Modi and President Biden will discuss on Friday, Kirby said, “Well, without getting too far ahead of the meeting that hasn’t happened, it’s certainly going to be an appropriate follow-on to their very robust bilateral discussions here when we had – when we hosted Prime Minister Modi at the White House not long ago for a very complete and official visit.”

“I think you can expect that they will discuss the agenda for the G20, particularly the economic cooperation and multilateral investment opportunities that stand before the G20, and the President’s strong desire to see multilateral development bank reform and reshaping continue.
I have little doubt that they will also talk about the shared challenge of climate change and how much we are hoping to have a robust discussion at the G20 about a transition to clean energy technology and to see more countries, more G20 countries, invest in more clean energy technology as well as efforts to curb greenhouse gases,” he added.

The NSC Coordinator further stated that he has little doubt that they will also discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and the effect, the deleterious effect that that war is having on low- and middle-income countries, which again comes right back to the economic cooperation issue.
In general, both leaders will discuss security, economic, and diplomatic challenges throughout the Indo-Pacific will certainly be something that they discuss, Kirby added.

The G20 Leaders’ Summit is scheduled to take place on September 9 and 10 in India and US President Joe Biden is slated to attend the event. He will start his visit to India on September 7.

Talking to reporters during a press briefing at the Washington Foreign Press Center, Kirby said that the President is excited about the important initiatives that he will be championing at the G20.

The NSC coordinator said that Biden’s focus is going to be on delivering economic opportunity for developing countries, making progress on key priorities for the American people, from climate to technology, and showing our commitment to the G20 itself as a viable, if not vital, forum to tackle these sorts of issues.

(ANI)

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